Supporting Change within Organisations: HRP
Supporting Change within Organisations:
HRP
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Welcome and Introduction
In HR we are in the change business; whether it is small changes to policies and
procedures, or a major change necessary for the continuing success of our businesses.
We may be full partners, if not the instigators of change, or we may be implementers
of decisions made elsewhere. We may be designing and delivering training to support
change or we may be working on change project groups.
Our role is the same. It’s helping our organisations, the people within them, and us to
prosper.
On that basis it is important that we understand the main issues about change and can
use our knowledge to have the best impact we can in our organisations.
Regardless of your role in the people function, this unit will give you a sound
foundation on which to make an informed contribution to your organisation.
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Making best use of your time on this unit
Like every unit, approach this one in a systematic way. Here is a suggestion that
works for many of our participants.
Take 10 minutes to skim read the whole pack from start to finish. This
Think
gives you a sense of its content exercises and ‘Show you know’ activities.
Spend 10 minutes planning how you will go about the pack and the ‘Show
you know’ activities.
Plan
Commit to an estimated timescale for yourself.
Go through the pack completing all the exercises that you can tackle
immediately.
Do
Go back through the pack doing the exercises that you need to research.
Now you can approach the ‘Show you know’ activities with confidence.
Main icons and your actions
Exercise your brain
(time estimate: 10 minutes)

This image tells you that it is an exercise to help you interact with the unit’s
content.
 There is also a helpful indicator of how much time to spend on it. Obviously,
people are different; however, this is a useful guide.
 The shaded area has the exercise information
Complete your response in the black text in the box(es) below.
Show you know:
(time estimate: 90 minutes)
This banner tells you it is a ‘Show you know’ activity. Each one gives advice on what’s
required, including a template for your response.
When an exercise or ‘Show you know’ activity refers to ‘your organisation’ you can
choose your current organisation, one that you know well, the organisation of a friend,
relative or client, or even the programme case study company, GDP Ltd.
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Contents
1 Understand why organisations need to change and how change affects
organisations .......................................................................................................... 5
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
Introduction ........................................................................................................5
Internal factors ....................................................................................................5
External factors ...................................................................................................7
Links and follow through ......................................................................................9
2 Understand the key factors involved in the change process and different
approaches to managing change ............................................................................ 10
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
3
Understand the impact of change on employees and the role of HR ................... 20
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
4
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 10
Concept and examples ....................................................................................... 10
Different types of change ................................................................................... 16
Different reactions ............................................................................................. 16
Role of different “players” ................................................................................... 17
Contextual factors .............................................................................................. 17
Links and follow through .................................................................................... 19
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 20
People are people .............................................................................................. 20
The Path of the Everyday Hero ........................................................................... 21
Role of HR......................................................................................................... 24
Links and follow through .................................................................................... 24
Meeting CIPD criteria ...................................................................................... 25
Links to CIPD Standards
By fully completing this unit’s Participant Pack and delivering ‘Show you know’ activities that
‘Meet CIPD criteria you will cover the following learning outcomes and criteria.
Learning outcomes
Show you know criteria
You will:
You can:
1
Understand why organisations need
to change and how change affects
organisations.
1.1 Explain why organisations need to change with
reference to internal and external factors.
1.2 Explain how change can impact an organisation’s
business.
2
Understand the key factors involved in
the change process and different
approaches to managing change.
3
Understand the impact of change on
employees and the role of HR.
2.1 Explain the main factors involved in the change
process.
2.2 Compare and contrast different approaches to
managing change.
3.1 Compare and contrast the different behavioural
responses people may demonstrate when an
organisation is experiencing change.
3.2 Explain the role of HR in supporting individuals during
organisational change.
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1 Understand why organisations need to
change and how change affects
organisations
1.1
Introduction
In this first section you will look at some of the main reasons why organisations need
to change. While internal and external factors are often connected we will approach
the topic by looking at them separately. This subject is important for you as an HR
professional because you can better respond to change, notice the signs for change or
even anticipate them if you are tuned into the right things. All of us in HR need to be
knowledgeable about the wider context in which our organisations operate, so that we
can provide our best service.
1.2
Internal factors
Inside an organisation change can occur as a direct result of a shift in strategy. For
example, a shift in the organisation’s vision or mission.
Exercise your brain #1
(time estimate: 15 minutes)
A large multi-country commercial company employing some 40,000 staff had a
mission to :
“Be the number one choice for our customers”.
This mission was updated to “Be the most profitable organisation in our chosen
markets”.
Make some bullet point notes below of how this change would affect the
organisation. In other words what would be the impacts.
Think about people, processes, culture, what it values, ways of operating, etc.
And now think about some other internally-generated things that could trigger
organisational change.
Example
The Financial Company
Until the recession began to bite during late 2008 and into 2009, this financial
advisory company was processing many mortgage applications. They didn’t even
need to try to get business, it simply arrived. Its people worked hard and often for
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long hours and the company rewarded them very well.
As the recession took hold the managers noticed how their income was reducing
dramatically. This resulted in a shift in emphasis for the company and the people in
it.
They had always had a range of products but the others were side-lined as the
mortgage business rolled in. Now pensions advice needed to be the focus - for
example, helping people work out their pension values, providing options for
enhancements, moving their funds elsewhere, etc.
On the one hand the organisation was quick to respond because it had the
management information available and the managers acted on it quickly. On the
other hand the company’s people needed to let go of what had been very successful
for them and take on, re-learn and drive forward a different set of priorities.
Triggers for change could be:
1. Strategic objectives
2. Shift in government priorities
3. Business expansion
4. Downsizing
5. Changes in income streams
6. Audit of in-house competence stemming from business objectives
7. Critical incidents
8. Customer feedback
Exercise your brain #2
(time estimate: 30 minutes)
From your own experience or by chatting with people inside and outside your
business two examples of the eight triggers noted above for organisational change.
There may even be current examples in your national media that you could use.
Deliver your short explanation below that:
 States the change trigger
 Gives one sentence to name the organisation
 State why the organisation needs to change because of the trigger
 Your short explanation of the impact that the change had or will have on the
organisation’s business.
Change trigger one
The organisation
Why change
Impact on business
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Change trigger two
The organisation
Why change
Impact on business
1.2.1
Internal Analysis
Results from an internal analysis could be the first sign or trigger for change. We will
get an insight into this now using a shortened version of what could be a significant
piece of work periodically carried out in businesses. It’s a SWOT analysis.
Exercise your brain #3
(time estimate: 30 minutes)
Think about your organisation in terms of the four question areas below, and then
add your comments in the boxes. Remember to think widely; everything from your
culture, systems, market place and management style to your products or services.
Be specific. Stating “Staff” as a strength example is less effective than stating “Staff
who support one another”.
Have at least four points in each of the four boxes.
Inside your organisation
Our strengths are
Our weaknesses are
Outside your organisation
The opportunities are
The threats are
Now, considering what you have noted in your SWOT analysis above, are there the
beginnings of organisational change triggers? Make some brief notes below.
1.3
External factors
Example
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The Ice Wagon experience
I remember being told once of ice wagons in the United States of America. By the
mid 1800s there were many companies of all sizes who ran ice wagons. Natural ice
would be loaded on to the wagons and then driven as quickly as possible to
businesses, shops and houses.
With the emergence of electricity and new technologies like fridges and freezers you
would think that these companies would simply make the change from wagons to
the supply of the new delivery mechanisms - home fridges and freezers. Apparently
not. I heard that only two of the many, many ice wagon companies made the
change to the new environment.
Maybe the rest of the companies forgot what business they were in?
We mentioned earlier that the internal and external factors are connected. For
example, a global phenomenon, like a recession, bird flu pandemic, war, impact on oil
supply, etc. will affect organisations and could trigger change.
Exercise your brain #4
(time estimate: 45 minutes)
Thinking again about organisations, maybe your organisation, or one that you know
well, and now:
 Names an example of an external issue that generated an organisational
change
 Gives one sentence to name the organisation
 Give a brief explanation of why the organisation needed to change
 Set out some of the main impacts it had on the organisation’s business.
Global issue/event
My example
The organisation
Explain why the
organisation needed to
change
Change impact(s) on
the organisation’s
business
National issue/event
My example
The organisation
Explain why the
organisation needed to
change
Change impact(s) on
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the organisation’s
business
Local issue/event
My example
The organisation
Explain why the
organisation needed to
change
Change impact(s) on
the organisation’s
business
A change in customer demand/preferences
My example
The organisation
Explain why the
organisation needed to
change
Change impact(s) on
the organisation’s
business
1.4
Links and follow through
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/corpstrtgy/changemmt/chngmgmt.htm?IsSrchRes=1
CIPD Factsheet on Change
Additional resources to support your learning on ‘Change’:
BURNES, B. (2009) Managing change. 5th ed. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall.
CARNALL, C. (2007) Managing change in organisations. 5th ed. Harlow: FT Prentice
Hall.
HUGHES, M. (2006) Change management: a critical perspective. London: Chartered
Institute of Personnel and Development.
Want to stretch yourself?
http://www.cipd.co.uk/podcasts
Access the CIPD podcasts and, in particular, the series on
managing change
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2 Understand the key factors involved in
the change process and different
approaches to managing change
2.1
Introduction
In part two of the unit you will explore some change models and processes so that you
can help to audit, manage and help manage change more effectively in your business.
These models and processes, plus others that you will encounter, are useful because
they give you a frame with which to plan effective change and understand what is
going on and what you or others need to address.
2.2
Concept and examples
Let’s begin by looking at three different examples of change components:
1. The change equation
2. Unfreeze-change-refreeze
3. The eight stage process.
2.2.1
The change equation
Richard Beckhard and David Gleicher created the change equation sometimes called
“Gleicher's Formula”. It’s another way of looking at change and its likelihood of
being successful. Although called an equation, it’s less about the arithmetic and more
about helping assess the relative forces affecting the likely success or otherwise of
organisational change.
C
Change
Dissatisfaction
Vision
First steps
D
X
V
R
X
F
Successful change is more assured when the forces above the
line outweigh the resistance underneath. The bigger the force
on the top the more likelihood of success.
With the way things currently are. How strong is it? How
widespread? How well is it published?
The powerful future vision of what it will be like afterwards.
How clear are we about the new future?
How well is it communicated, discussed and shared?
Achievable first steps to make it happen. For example,
managers need to make sure each employee understands what
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Resistance
steps they need to take in order for the change to be
successful:
 They need to know what to do to prepare themselves for
the change (such as skill development),
 They need to know how they will be contributing to the
successful implementation of changes (such as project
work, job changes, etc).
All the things that are holding the change back. How much
intelligence do we have about all the resisting forces?
Exercise your brain #5
(time estimate: 30 minutes)
Think about your organisation or one that you know well.
How can you help the organisation be even more successful at managing change?
Take each of the steps in turn and make some notes about what specifically you in
HR can do to help the power of the top line D, V and F?
And what can you do to identify and capture data about the below line R?
Helping to find out/build/communicate the ‘Dissatisfaction’
Specific actions
Helping communicating/understanding/and sharing the ‘Vision’
Specific actions
Helping people get ready for, and contribute to, the ‘First steps’
Specific actions
Identify and capture data about ‘Resistance’
Specific actions
2.2.2
Unfreeze-change-refreeze model
Kurt Lewin proposed in his theory that what has gone before in the organisation needs
to be unlearned and then replaced. The three stages of his model we can summarise
as:
Stage 1 Become motivated for change (Unfreezing)
If we agree that human behaviour is created from past learnings, what we observe,
and cultural influences, then we need to add new learnings and forces, as well as
reducing the force of the ones that keep things as they are. There are three subforces to consider when it comes to being motivated for change.
1. Dissatisfaction with the current situation, such as not meeting organisational
objectives. The larger the perceived gap between:
-the current situation and beliefs and
-the required situation and beliefs
will affect people’s readiness and motivation for change. The bigger the
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perceived gap, the more chance of people ignoring or rebelling against what
needs to be done.
2. Previous beliefs, now being seen as not relevant for the future, create a positive
force of survival anxiety. The power of this anxiety on people causes a
learning anxiety to take over. If I feel I can’t do it: I won’t.
3. This learning anxiety prompts things like defensiveness and resistance at the
thought of the pain of unlearning and relearning to live in the new reality.
Results can be denial, scapegoating and passing the buck, manoeuvring and
bargaining.
To make progress in the change process we need to move past the barriers by, for
example, reducing the power of the learning anxiety and increasing the survival
anxiety.
Stage 2 Change what needs to be changed (unfrozen and moving to a new
state)
Once there is enough dissatisfaction with the current state and a measurable
motivation to move on, we need to identify exactly what needs changing: and do it.
Success at this stage can have three possible results:
1. Words take on new or expanded meaning
2. People interpret new concepts and realities in a broader context
3. People adjust the way they think and evaluate new inputs.
There needs to be a clear view of this new state so that we can see and assess the
difference between the current state and the desired one. Things that we can do to
help make progress here are:

Provide role models and

Help people find their own relevant solutions to what they now do or need to
face.
State 3. Making the change permanent (refreezing)
In this final stage we are making sure the new behaviours and operations are habits.
Helpers here can be:

Feedback

Rewards

Confirming the new habits and

Strengthening the interpersonal relationships.
Exercise your brain #6
(time estimate: 40 minutes)
Let’s take Lewin’s theory and give it a practical application.
Think of a major change that you have personally experienced at work or even in a
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personal group setting. Make your brief notes under each of the questions below.
What happened at each of the three stages, including how did things like the
anxieties show themselves in you?
What was missing for you?
Looking back, what would have helped you at each stage?
2.2.3
The eight stage process
Now let’s look at John Kotter’s eight stage process. In his book “Leading Change”
he identified eight stages as a successful approach to change. Before we get to the
eight stages, let’s look at the dark side. What Kotter did in his book was firstly to note
the problems leading to ineffective change. He quickly identified important areas for
us to be watchful of.
Problem Area
Description
Allowing too much complacency
Failing to create a sufficiently
powerful guiding coalition
Underestimating the power of
vision
Perhaps key people think they can push
things through.
Maybe they fear the reactions from people.
Maybe they confuse urgency with anxiety.
There are lots of potential reasons behind
too much complacency.
Way beyond the business leader or change
manager. Not having enough advocates and
workers for the change can spell problems.
Resulting in not enough direction, alignment
and inspiration for and to the people.
Meaning you can’t achieve most of the
Undercommunicating the vision
by a factor of 10 (or even 100 or people in the organisation being willing
helpers.
1000)
Because people feel disempowered or
because perceived blockages are in people’s
Permitting obstacles to block the
heads only. Maybe the structure for
new vision
example is a blocker or management style,
etc.
Not actively creating and celebrating short
Failing to create short term wins
term wins.
At the first performance improvement
Declaring victory too soon
instead of when certain that regression to
the old state is never going to happen.
Not consciously showing people how what
Neglecting to anchor changes
they are doing is helping and, secondly, not
firmly in the corporate culture
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changing people processes like reward and
selection criteria.
Not surprisingly, Kotter identifies the following consequences:

Implementation doesn’t go well

Major mergers and acquisitions don’t deliver the expected benefits

The process takes too long and is costly

Downsizing doesn’t, therefore, control costs

Quality programmes do not deliver the expected results.
Exercise your brain #7
(time estimate: 10 minutes)
What additional consequences can you think of from a poor change process:
I’m sure you can guess what Kotter’s eight stages involve and here they are
in summary:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Establish a sense of urgency
Creating a guiding coalition
Developing a vision and strategy
Communicating the change vision
Empowering employees for broad-based action
Generating short term wins
Consolidating gains and producing more change
Anchoring new approaches in the culture.
Exercise your brain #8
(time estimate: 60 minutes)
Thinking about your organisation, answer the prompt questions here to help you
explore these eight steps.
Firstly think about a current change or have in your mind a vivid picture of an
imagined organisational change that you would want to implement.
My change is:
What might be areas of
complacency?
Establish a sense of urgency
What can you suggest to create a sense of
urgency without mass anxiety?
Creating a guiding coalition
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Firstly, how many people would you need as ‘committed and hard working devotees
of the change’ to make it work? Think about the size of your organisation. Kotter
reckons 12 in an organisation of 100 and 15,000 in an organisation of 100, 000.
Secondly, what are the key functions, and even the specific people you must achieve
active commitment from, to help ensure success?
Developing a vision and strategy
Vision is about a vivid picture of the future that people can identify with as a helper
to cut through the forces of no change. Questions to consider are: How shall
we/you develop it? Whom should we involve?
If you are using a current change, note below the vision you are working to and give
your opinion of it.
If you have an imagined change, what would your draft of a vision be? Note it here.
Communicating the change vision
How would you unleash the power of your vision by making sure that most of the
workforce have a common understanding of it and desire it as the future?
Empowering employees for broad based action
Great changes will only happen when lots of people can help. What barriers are
there to creating the conditions where people can opt in and help? And more
importantly, what can you do about them? Think about structure, processes, HR
gaps, etc.
Generating short term wins
Kotter gives three criteria for a relevant quick win:
1. It’s real and large numbers of your people can see it for themselves
2. It’s not possible to argue with it
3. It’s related to the change process – not an accident or windfall.
What might be short term quick wins that meet these three criteria?
Consolidating gains and producing more change
How will you balance celebrating successes and helping with motivation alongside
the threat of inertia and resistance?
Anchoring new approaches in the culture
What will you need to implement to make sure the changes enter the organisation’s
bloodstream and stay there?
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2.3
Different types of change
Kotter’s eight steps and his book are very much about large transformation in
organisations and they can still help us with a range of changes no matter the scale or
type. They can be used for:

A product change

A shift in customer base

An innovation

A workplace location change.
2.4
Different reactions
Example
The consistent message
I often hear people say with assurance “People don’t like change” and “People are
resistant to change.” One day at a workshop these same comments were being
made and one participant said, “Not true.” That stopped the conversation and she
went on “I like change. I like variety. I like changing what I need to do to match
my customers’ expectations. I like the energy that change gives me. Change helps
me to know that I’m alive.”
In the end the group agreed that people react differently and they agreed 100%
that people do not like badly managed change.
As a group of practitioners, they all resolved to learn as much as they could about
change and how to manage it.
Here are some common reactions to change.
Exercise your brain #9
(time estimate: 20 minutes)
How might these reactions show themselves? How might people behave if they
have these reactions? Add more ideas too from your own experiences.
Anger
Shock
Energised
False euphoria
Add your ideas
Add your ideas
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2.5
Role of different “players”
Different players will have different roles to play in a successful change. Perhaps
everyone in positions of authority will have a role in making sure that they can, with
integrity, support the change.
Here is an extract from the CIPD Factsheet on Managing Change (May
2009)
People management and development professionals have a significant role to play in
any change management process. HR professionals themselves have recognised
this. They considered that ‘effective management of change’ is the top ‘HR/L&D skill
for survival’ in a recent CIPD online poll.
Earlier CIPD research has also identified that HR/L&D’s involvement in various
aspects of change can make the difference between successful and less successful
projects by, for example, their:
1. Involvement at the initial stage in the project team.
2. Advising project leaders in skills available within the organisation – identifying
any skills gaps, training needs, new posts, new working practices, etc.
3. Balancing out the narrow/short-term goals with broader strategic needs.
4. Assessing the impact of change in one area/department/site on another part
of the organisation.
5. Being used to negotiating and engaging across various stakeholders.
6. Understanding stakeholder concerns to anticipate problems.
7. Understanding the appropriate medium of communication to reach various
groups.
8. Helping people cope with change, performance management and motivation.
Exercise your brain #10
(time estimate: 20 minutes)
What are your thoughts on the HR professional’s role in change management?
Which one of the above eight points do you agree with most and why?
Generally in organisations, whom do you think are the other main players in
managing change (this may be specific job roles or groups) and what do you see as
their role?
2.6
Contextual factors
Organisational changes exist within the organisation’s own context. Let’s look at four
contextual factors:
1. Culture
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2. Leadership
3. Organisation’s products and services and customers
4. Relationships with other groups.
2.6.1
Culture
Culture is often described as “The way we do things around here.” It’s the unwritten
things and is extremely powerful.
Exercise your brain #11
(time estimate: 30 minutes)
To help you think about culture suppose that your organisation were an animal;
which animal would it be and why? Note your short explanation below.
Your response could be a mythical animal or an animal that has attributes from
different ones, for example the head of a giraffe because . . . and the legs of a horse
because . . .
Now that you are thinking about culture, which are the most helpful aspects of your
organisational culture and which ones might hinder? Think especially about during a
period of change.
Help
Hinder
2.6.2
Leadership
Another extract from the May 2009 CIPD Factsheet on Change
Management:
Effective leadership is a key enabler as it provides the vision and the rationale for
change. Different styles of leadership have been identified, for example, coercive,
directive, consultative and collaborative. These different styles may each be
appropriate, depending on the type and scale of change being undertaken. For
example, when there is a large-scale organisation-wide change, a directive style has
been identified as most effective.
2.6.3
Organisation products, services and customers
The products and services that you offer and your customers have to be a factor in
managing change. For example, in healthcare implementing change may have a huge
constraint in that patient care shouldn’t suffer while the change is happening. This
would place project challenges on the change process.
2.6.4
Relationships with other groups
Other groups might include one or more of the following: regulators, politicians, parent
organisations and Trades Unions. What bearing, pressure, influence and power they
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may have individually and collectively would be part of your considerations during
change? And, of course, you would develop action plans to manage them.
2.7
Links and follow through
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/corpstrtgy/changemmt/chngmgmt.htm
CIPD Factsheet (May 2009) on Change Management.
Leading Change book by John P Kotter, Harvard Business School Press.
Want to stretch yourself?
http://ezinearticles.com/?Transformational-Leadership-TheoryThe-4-Key-Components-in-Leading-Change-and-ManagingChange&id=2755277
One of many articles about Transformational Leadership
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3 Understand the impact of change on
employees and the role of HR
3.1
Introduction
Ultimately it is the people dimension that will help dictate the success of any business
change. In the final part of the unit we will look at how change affects the people in
the business and look in more detail at the role of HR.
From Pulse 2010 here is a change management definition:
“Change management is a systematic approach to dealing with change, both from the
perspective of an organisation and on the individual level. A somewhat ambiguous
term, change management has at least three different aspects, including:
-adapting to change
-controlling change and
-effecting change.
A proactive approach to dealing with change is at the core of all three aspects. For an
organisation, change management means defining and implementing procedures
and/or technologies to deal with changes in the business environment and to profit
from changing opportunities.
Successful adaptation to change is as crucial within an organisation as it is in the
natural world. Just like plants and animals, organisations and the individuals in them
inevitably encounter changing conditions that they are powerless to control. The more
effectively you deal with change, the more likely you are to thrive. Adaptation might
involve establishing a structured methodology for responding to changes in the
business environment (such as a fluctuation in the economy, or a threat from a
competitor) or establishing coping mechanisms for responding to changes in the
workplace (such as new policies, or technologies).”
3.2
People are people
People react differently to change and as we have already seen there can be a range;
from false euphoria through to scepticism and to, perhaps, active rebellion.
And it needn’t be a large change, perhaps a desk move that was straightforward to the
line manager will generate reactions in the staff members that the manager didn’t
anticipate.
Perhaps a merger or take-over will generate concerns over the business itself. And
then the affect on role changes, through to issues of being able to make the change
and job security.
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Exercise your brain #12
(time estimate: 10 minutes)
You are at a 10am team meeting. You are supporting a line manager with her team
of semi-skilled machine process operators. Earlier in the day a merger had been
announced to the stock market and it’s been all over the satellite news channels.
When taking questions, an operator asks, “Can you guarantee our job security?”
Script below what you would expect an effective manager to say in response to this
question.
I’d expect the effective manager to respond by saying, “.”
What does the line manager need to be wary of in the content of her answer and in
its delivery?
Whatever the issues, HR’s role, together with our colleagues in HR, has to be to
support line managers and staff members in working through the change successfully
for the organisation and for them.
3.3
The Path of the Everyday Hero
Exercise your brain #13
(time estimate: 15 minutes)
Think of a main character in a story that you know well. For example, Tom Hanks in
the movie ‘BIG’, Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), Frodo Baggins (Lord of the Rings),
Cinderella, etc.
Who are you thinking about and what is the name of the tale, story or movie?
Think now about the journey that your character goes through during the tale, book
or movie.
What is your character like at the start?
What appears as their major crisis or challenge?
What does your character decide to do about it?
What happens on their journey? Who do they meet?
What is your character like at the end compared to the beginning?
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Regardless of whom you pick, your main leading character will have begun in relative
innocence with just the usual ups and downs, then be faced with a significant
challenge and the decision to accept it or not. Having accepted their challenge (it
would be a short tale if they didn’t) they will be transformed with some successes and
drawbacks, threats and excitements plus meeting up with and working with allies to
help them. As they approach the end they have new insights and learnings and are
able to celebrate in different ways.
These stories are very powerful for adults and children for different reasons. Young
people have obvious heroes and villains. Adults are able to connect to the deeper
messages about the paths people take as they solve problems and deal with major
changes.
The idea of “The Path of the Everyday Hero” comes from the self development
book of the same name by Lorna Catford and Michael Ray. We will investigate it here
and at a workshop.
As HR professionals we are helping ourselves, colleagues and our internal customers
through one or more change processes. “The Path” is an optimistic model and
framework of the journey people go on (or get stuck on) and so is very valuable to
many people.
So whatever the call to action (the change) human beings go through “The Path”;
some quickly, some have little or no celebration and may even drop off, others find
allies quickly, others need help to find them.
Here is “The Path” illustrated for you
Adapted from “The Path of the Everyday Hero”: Lorna Catford and Michael Ray
And here are the stages described
Phase 1 – Innocence
Phase 4 – Allies



“Normal” day to day life
No obvious, major disruptions
Provide a way forward for
successful resolution of the
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


Relatively content
Reasonably comfortable with the
status quo
Relatively naïve state – not
anticipating trouble



initiation phase
Friends support, new insights all
emerge to help
Discovery of personal wisdom
Solutions may appear
“simultaneously” with problems –
e.g. “nettles and dock leaves”
Phase 2 – The Call
Phase 5 – Breakthrough








Crisis or demand for action
Represents the “threshold” of
period of disruption/challenge
May experience feelings of loss
ability to cope/control
No apparent option for a quick fix
Solution may seem impossible
Go forward or stay stuck?
Addresses “Secret Yearning” to
grow, be all that we can be.



Results from new knowledge, skills
and abilities
Self discovery, a new way of being
High motivation and sense of
achievement
Recognition of personal
transformation marks return
threshold
Phase 3 – Initiation
Phase 6 – Celebration






The Call is accepted
Stepping into the unknown
Facing problems/challenges begins
the process of
transformation/maturation
Initially may be lacking confidence

Return to “normal” life
New gifts – wiser, deeper, more
actualised
Others benefit from hero’s
transformation
Example
“The Path” in action
Because I love “The Path of the Everyday Hero” idea I tend to use it often with
managers on development programmes. Two stories illustrate the power of the
path.
One group of 'marketeers' took the path and drew it on the team whiteboard. Every
day, or within the working day, people would go and update their location on the
path. It became a prompt for discussion and then ways to help one another out.
Another group, this time scientists, took the model away then asked me for the
slide. They then shared the model with their teams and then everyone used the
terminology as a reference for themselves and others.
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In both cases the ideas were not given to them and instead the managers found a
way of getting value from it in ways that suited them. In both cases the common
theme is a common language.
3.4
Role of HR
As mentioned in the definition earlier in this unit, the role of HR is to take a proactive
approach. And we will no doubt do this with our colleagues in HR. This could include:

Making sure everyone has a clear understanding of the reasons for change

Helping themselves work through their own issues with the change
constructively

Role modelling change-ready attitude

Adapting own approach to the needs of every situation

Responding to staff questions about change and impacts.
Exercise your brain #14
(time estimate: 10 minutes)
Think about what you have done in this unit so far and explain below two practical
ways that HR can support individuals during organisational change.
Practical way: one
What
My short explanation
Practical way: two
What
My short explanation
3.5
Links and follow through
“The Path of the Everyday Hero” by Catford and Ray, Creative Quest Publishing
DVD Wizard of OZ (1939) Warner Bros. Entertainment. See “The Path” in
technicolour.
Want to stretch yourself?
How will you use “The Path” in your workplace to help yourself,
colleagues and internal customers?
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4 Meeting CIPD criteria
Show you know:
(time estimate: 240 minutes)
Gill Davis, CEO at GDP, knows you have been working on a change unit as part of
your qualification. She has asked you to produce an article for GDP’s internal
newsletter. GDP has ambitious plans to grow and that means changes are coming.
1. A short introduction to GDP, the organisation
2. An explanation of why GDP needs to change identifying at least six
factors (a mixture of internal and external) that drive or influence change
3. Explain at least three ways change affects organisations
4. Compares (what’s the same or similar and what’s different) at least three
change management models (do not describe them)
5. Describe three behavioural responses seen when change occurs in an
organisation.
6. Explain at least three ways that HR can support individuals during change.
7. Make your suggestion for a brand new change model (with at least four
stages in it) that you create especially for GDP. Everyone at GDP will use it
during their current major change project. Your new change model needs a
description of each stage and an illustration such as a diagram to help explain
it.
The printers have given you an absolute maximum word count of 1500.
Options
You can use your own organisation for this assessment. If you do, your
response should be in your company’s style.
Tips
This is a newsletter for GDP colleagues, 43% of whom work in production
roles. Make sure your newsletter is visually appealing, written in plain
language and uses presentational devices to help create a good
impression.
CIPD Learning
Outcomes
met from this
activity
1. Understand why organisations need to change and how change affects
organisations.
2. Understand the key factors involved in the change process and different
approaches to managing change.
3. Understand the impact of change on employees and the role of HR.
And their
assessment
criteria
1.1 Explain why organisations need to change with reference to internal and external
factors.
1.2 Explain how change can impact an organisation’s business.
2.1 Explain the main factors involved in the change process.
2.2 Compare and contrast different approaches to managing change.
3.1 Compare and contrast the different behavioural responses people may demonstrate
when an organisation is experiencing change.
3.2 Explain the role of HR in supporting individuals during organisational change.
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My ‘Show you know’ response
Before sending to your facilitator . . .
Have you:
Responded to the full brief. For example covered affects and not effects in bullet
point three.
Clearly referenced anyone else’s work from websites, books, etc?
Kept within the word count?
Used presentation devices such as numbered headings, bullets, spacing, tables,
and appropriate colour?
Produced a piece of work with correct spelling and grammar?
Produced a piece of work that is in the context of the brief – for all company
employees
Once you can tick off this list, either mentally or by inserting a tick, then you have
completed the activity.
Unit reflections
Congratulations, now that you have completed the unit what are your reflections?
Think about the content that you have explored: what was
confirmed, new and caused you to think?
And for your participant pack exercises and ‘Show
you know’ activities, what are you happy
about? What would you do differently next
time? What did you learn, perhaps
technically, about yourself and maybe your time
management for example?
Now go and do your CPD entry in your CPD Record for this unit.
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Facilitator feedback
Participant name
Submission date
Participant pack and exercises
Sampling Was this Participant Pack reviewed as part of internal sampling? Y/N
Facilitator feedback
Not enough to allow me to confirm completion.
Effective interaction with unit’s content showing your knowledge at
Overall
the programme’s level.
Meets and exceeds the programme level in your responses to the
materials.
Highlight(s) to note
Developmental comment(s)
Show you know feedback
Learning Outcome
Assessment criteria
1. Understand why
organisations need to
change and how change
affects organisations.
1.1Explain why organisations need to change with reference to
internal and external factors.
2. Understand the key
factors involved in the
change process and
different approaches to
managing change.
2.1 Explain the main factors involved in the change process.
3. Understand the
impact of change on
employees and the role
of HR.
Met?
Y/N
1.2 Explain how change can impact an organisation’s
business.
2.2 Compare and contrast different approaches to managing
change.
3.1 Compare and contrast the different behavioural responses
people may demonstrate when an organisation is
experiencing change.
3.2 Explain the role of HR in supporting individuals during
organisational change.
Overall facilitator feedback:
Assessor name:
Decision on meeting CIPD criteria
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Learning Outcome
Assessment criteria
Met?
Y/N
Signature:
Date:
Meets
Decision on meeting CIPD criteria
Internal verifier name:
Signature:
Meets
Date:
Action taken following IV sampling (specify)
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